Nobel Prize winners past and present

By By Houston Chronicle Staff

on October 8, 2012 11:14 AM

Photo: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

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Staffan Normark (C), Permanent Secretary of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences gives a press conference to announce the winner of the Nobel prize in Economic Sciences on October 15, 2012 in Stockholm. US duo Alvin Roth and Lloyd Shapley win Nobel Economics Prize on October 15, 2012. AFP PHOTO / SCANPIX/HENRIK MONTGOMERYHENRIK MONTGOMERY/AFP/GettyImages less

Staffan Normark (C), Permanent Secretary of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences gives a press conference to announce the winner of the Nobel prize in Economic Sciences on October 15, 2012 in Stockholm. US duo ... more

A statue holding the Euro sign is pictured with some flags of EU countries outside the European Parliament building in Brussels, Friday, Oct. 12, 2012. The European Union won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for its efforts to promote peace and democracy in Europe, despite being in the midst of its biggest crisis since the bloc was created in the 1950s. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe) less

A statue holding the Euro sign is pictured with some flags of EU countries outside the European Parliament building in Brussels, Friday, Oct. 12, 2012. The European Union won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for ... more

Photo: Yves Logghe

A statue holding the Euro sign is pictured with some flags of EU... Photo-3585366.50347 - Houston Chronicle

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Chinese writer Mo Yan spoke during an interview in Beijing in 2005. Mo won the Nobel Prize in literature on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in a somewhat unexpected choice by a prize committee that has favored European authors in recent years. less

Chinese writer Mo Yan spoke during an interview in Beijing in 2005. Mo won the Nobel Prize in literature on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, in a somewhat unexpected choice by a prize committee that has favored ... more

In this photo taken Sunday, March 25, 2012, Chinese writer Mo Yan attends a novel writing competitions as a judge, in Haikou in south China's Hainan province. Mo won the Nobel Prize in literature on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012. less

In this photo taken Sunday, March 25, 2012, Chinese writer Mo Yan attends a novel writing competitions as a judge, in Haikou in south China's Hainan province. Mo won the Nobel Prize in literature on Thursday, ... more

A woman places a poster of Chinese author Mo Yan, the 2012 Nobel Literature Prize winner, at the Unionsverlag booth at the 64th Frankfurt Book Fair on October 11, 2012. Mo Yan won the Nobel Literature Prize for writing that mixes folk tales, history and the contemporary, the Swedish Academy announced Thursday. less

A woman places a poster of Chinese author Mo Yan, the 2012 Nobel Literature Prize winner, at the Unionsverlag booth at the 64th Frankfurt Book Fair on October 11, 2012. Mo Yan won the Nobel Literature Prize for ... more

In this combination of photos made Wednesday, Oct. 10, Duke University professor Robert Lefkowitz, left, is seen at his office in Durham, N.C., and Stanford University professor Brian Kobilka is seen at his home in Palo Alto, Calif., after they were named winners of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The two American researchers won the Nobel Prize in chemistry Wednesday for studies of protein receptors that let body cells sense and respond to outside signals like danger or the flavor of food. Such studies are key for developing better drugs. (AP Photo/Ted Richardson, left; Stanford University, Linda A. Cicero, right) less

In this combination of photos made Wednesday, Oct. 10, Duke University professor Robert Lefkowitz, left, is seen at his office in Durham, N.C., and Stanford University professor Brian Kobilka is seen at his ... more

Duke University's Dr. Robert Lefkowitz, left, celebrates with colleague Mariano Garcia-Blanco at a party held for him in his offices on the Duke campus in Durham, N.C. on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, after it was announced that Lefkowitz was the co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka won the prize for studies of protein receptors that let body cells sense and respond to outside signals like danger or the flavor of food. Such studies are key for developing better drugs. less

Duke University's Dr. Robert Lefkowitz, left, celebrates with colleague Mariano Garcia-Blanco at a party held for him in his offices on the Duke campus in Durham, N.C. on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, after it was ... more

Brian Kobilka talks on the telephone to reporters after receiving news of his Nobel Prize in Chemistry at his home in Palo Alto, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012. Kobilka and Duke University professor Robert Lefkowitz won the Nobel Prize in chemistry Wednesday for studies of protein receptors that let body cells sense and respond to outside signals like danger or the flavor of food. Such studies are key for developing better drugs. less

Brian Kobilka talks on the telephone to reporters after receiving news of his Nobel Prize in Chemistry at his home in Palo Alto, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012. Kobilka and Duke University professor Robert ... more

In this combination of photos made Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012, American physicist David Wineland, left, speaks at a news conference in Boulder, Colo., and French physicist Serge Haroche speaks to the media in Paris after they were named winners of the 2012 Nobel Prize in physics. The French-American duo shared the prize for experiments on quantum particles that have already resulted in ultra-precise clocks and may one day help lead to computers many times faster than those in use today. less

In this combination of photos made Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012, American physicist David Wineland, left, speaks at a news conference in Boulder, Colo., and French physicist Serge Haroche speaks to the media in Paris ... more

Serge Haroche of France, left, winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize in physics, poses with his research team at the College de France in Paris, Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012. Haroche and American David Wineland shared the 2012 Nobel Prize in physics Tuesday for inventing methods to observe the bizarre properties of the quantum world, research that has led to the construction of extremely precise clocks and helped scientists take the first steps toward building superfast computers. less

Serge Haroche of France, left, winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize in physics, poses with his research team at the College de France in Paris, Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012. Haroche and American David Wineland shared the ... more

In this 2003 photo, physicist David Wineland adjusts an ultraviolet laser beam used to manipulate ions in a high-vacuum apparatus containing an "ion trap" used to demonstrate the basic operations required for a quantum computer. Wineland and Serge Haroche of France shared the 2012 Nobel Prize in physics Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012 for inventing methods to observe the bizarre properties of the quantum world, research that has led to the construction of extremely precise clocks and helped scientists take the first steps toward building superfast computers. less

In this 2003 photo, physicist David Wineland adjusts an ultraviolet laser beam used to manipulate ions in a high-vacuum apparatus containing an "ion trap" used to demonstrate the basic operations required for a ... more

Kyoto University Professor Shinya Yamanaka reacts as journalists applaud the 2012 Nobel Prize winner at the end of his news conference at the university in Kyoto, Japan, Monday, Oct. 8. Yamanaka and British researcher John Gurdon won this year's Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine. less

Kyoto University Professor Shinya Yamanaka reacts as journalists applaud the 2012 Nobel Prize winner at the end of his news conference at the university in Kyoto, Japan, Monday, Oct. 8. Yamanaka and British ... more

2012 Nobel Prize winner Sir John Gurdon talks to reporters on Monday, Oct. 8, in London, England. Sir John and Shinya Yamanaka from Japan have both been awarded the Nobel prize for medicine or physiology for their work as pioneers of stem cell research. less

2012 Nobel Prize winner Sir John Gurdon talks to reporters on Monday, Oct. 8, in London, England. Sir John and Shinya Yamanaka from Japan have both been awarded the Nobel prize for medicine or physiology for ... more

2012 Nobel Prize winner Sir John Gurdon talks to reporters on Monday, Oct. 8, in London. Sir John and Shinya Yamanaka from Japan have both been awarded the Nobel prize for medicine or physiology for their work as pioneers of stem cell research. less

2012 Nobel Prize winner Sir John Gurdon talks to reporters on Monday, Oct. 8, in London. Sir John and Shinya Yamanaka from Japan have both been awarded the Nobel prize for medicine or physiology for their work ... more

2012 Nobel Prize winner Sir John Gurdon smiles as he talks to reporters on Monday, Oct. 8, in London. Sir John and Shinya Yamanaka from Japan have both been awarded the Nobel prize for medicine or physiology for their work as pioneers of stem cell research. less

2012 Nobel Prize winner Sir John Gurdon smiles as he talks to reporters on Monday, Oct. 8, in London. Sir John and Shinya Yamanaka from Japan have both been awarded the Nobel prize for medicine or physiology ... more

In this undated portrait, Swedish chemist and industrialist Alfred Nobel (1833-1896) is shown. Guessing the Nobel Prize winners is a bit like forecasting the stock market: the sages don't seem to do it any better than the layman. So when you hear scholars and pundits predicting the Higgs boson particle will be the theme of the physics prize next week, or that an American writer, finally, is due for the literature award, it's good to keep their track record in mind. "My top candidate has never won, and it's the fourth year I've been doing it," admits Norwegian peace researcher Kristian Harpviken, one of the most frequently cited commentators on the Nobel Peace Prize. less

In this undated portrait, Swedish chemist and industrialist Alfred Nobel (1833-1896) is shown. Guessing the Nobel Prize winners is a bit like forecasting the stock market: the sages don't seem to do it any ... more

1992 Nobel Peace prize winner Rigoberta Menchu showed reporters empty bullet shell casings found on the scene where protestors and security forces clashed a day earlier, in Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan, Guatemala, Friday, Oct. 5, 2012. At least six people were slain and 30 shot when gunfire erupted Thursday during a protest over electrical power prices and educational reform in a poor rural area west of the capital. less

2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkol Karman, of Yemen, delivers her speech during the World Forum for Democracy, Monday, Oct. 8, at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, eastern France. Yemeni activist and journalist Tawakkol Karman, who galvanized Yemeni support for the Arab Spring, a is also a cofounder of the human rights group Women Journalists Without Chains and a senior member of the opposition political party Al-Islah. less

2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkol Karman, of Yemen, delivers her speech during the World Forum for Democracy, Monday, Oct. 8, at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, eastern France. Yemeni activist and ... more

2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohammad Yunus took part in the Global Citizen Festival, a mass music concert and event to urge world leaders to act toward ending extreme poverty, in Central Park in New York on September 29, 2012. Some 60,000 people attended the free festival, part of the Global Citizen Campaign. less

2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohammad Yunus took part in the Global Citizen Festival, a mass music concert and event to urge world leaders to act toward ending extreme poverty, in Central Park in New York on ... more

1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, a pro-democracy leader in Myanmar, met with U.S. President and 2009 peace prize winner Barack Obama in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday, Sept. 19.

1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, a pro-democracy leader in Myanmar, met with U.S. President and 2009 peace prize winner Barack Obama in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday, Sept. 19.

Joseph Stiglitz, a Columbia University professor and winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize in economics, says the gap between the wealthy and everyone else damages the economy. He cites the student loan debt, real estate bubble and predatory banks. less

Joseph Stiglitz, a Columbia University professor and winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize in economics, says the gap between the wealthy and everyone else damages the economy. He cites the student loan debt, real ... more

Nobel Peace Prize winners Tawakkol Karman of Yemen, left, Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee, center, and Liberian president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf receive their diplomas and medals at City Hall in in Oslo, Norway Saturday Dec. 10, 2011. The peace prize committee awarded the prize to Karman, Johnson-Sirleaf and Gbowee for championing women's rights in regions where oppression is common and helping women participate in peace-building. less

Nobel Peace Prize winners Tawakkol Karman of Yemen, left, Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee, center, and Liberian president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf receive their diplomas and medals at City Hall in in Oslo, ... more

Christopher Sims talks about winning the 2011 Nobel Prize for economics during a news conference on Monday, Oct. 10, 2011, at Princeton University in Princeton, N.J. Sims, and Thomas Sargent, won for their research which sheds light on the cause-and-effect relationship between the economy and policy instruments such as interest rates and government spending. less

Christopher Sims talks about winning the 2011 Nobel Prize for economics during a news conference on Monday, Oct. 10, 2011, at Princeton University in Princeton, N.J. Sims, and Thomas Sargent, won for their ... more

Nobel Prize winner Dr. Bruce A. Beutler addresses his colleagues at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center on October 4, 2011 in Dallas, Texas. Beutler won the 2011 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine with two other scientists for their discoveries in how the immune system works. less

Nobel Prize winner Dr. Bruce A. Beutler addresses his colleagues at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center on October 4, 2011 in Dallas, Texas. Beutler won the 2011 Nobel Prize in physiology or ... more

Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Rajendra Pachauri won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. The Nobel peace prize should add a "sense of urgency" to the fight against global warming, said Pachauri, head of the globe's top scientific body on climate change, who shared the award with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore. less

Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Rajendra Pachauri won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. The Nobel peace prize should add a "sense of urgency" to the fight against global warming, ... more

Swedish poet Tomas Transtromer won the 2011 Nobel Prize in literature. His surrealistic works about the mysteries of the human mind won him acclaim as one of the most important Scandinavian writers since World War II. less

Swedish poet Tomas Transtromer won the 2011 Nobel Prize in literature. His surrealistic works about the mysteries of the human mind won him acclaim as one of the most important Scandinavian writers since World ... more

Marie Curie is a Polish-born chemist who won two Nobel Prizes for her research on radium. This photo is from the book "Scientists and Inventors."

Marie Curie is a Polish-born chemist who won two Nobel Prizes for her research on radium. This photo is from the book "Scientists and Inventors."

Photo: Anthony Feldman And Peter Ford, Facts On File, NY

Marie Curie is a Polish-born chemist who won two Nobel Prizes for... Photo-3561318.50347 - Houston Chronicle

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James D. Watson, right, and Francis H. Crick walk along "the Backs" at England's Cambridge university in this 1950s photo. The two scientists won the Nobel Prize in 1962 for discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA. less

James D. Watson, right, and Francis H. Crick walk along "the Backs" at England's Cambridge university in this 1950s photo. The two scientists won the Nobel Prize in 1962 for discovery of the double-helix ... more